Qin Wushang Comes Knocking!

Lightning surged around Li Guanqi, his aura erupting to its absolute peak in an instant. Gripping his sword with both hands, he slashed down at the black-robed figure! *Boom!* "Blood Asura!" *Boom!* In that instant, the raging lightning seemed veiled in a layer of bloody crimson. Li Guanqi looked as though he stood atop a mountain of corpses as he swung his blade down against heaven and earth. The mysterious figure's eye twitched. Facing this lightning-imbued slash carrying illusions of a sea of blood, he let out a cold snort, raising his hand and instantly cleaving outward with his sword! A surging torrent of sword light roared forward to collide with it! *Boom!* A violent explosion rang out. Dozens of li away, Gu Li suddenly paled and coughed up a mouthful of blood. As if struck by a colossal blow, he went hurtling backward. Yet right after, Gu Li saw the overwhelming sword light shatter the slash Li Guanqi had brought down! Just as that sword light was about to engulf Li Guanqi... Gu Li gritted his teeth and slapped a peculiar inscribed talisman onto himself! At the same time, an unassuming inscribed talisman on Li Guanqi's back instantly blazed to life. A chilling frost abruptly ran up Li Guanqi's back, shooting straight to the crown of his head! Li Guanqi snapped his head around toward the distant void! "Gu Li—!" *Swish!* The sword light before Li Guanqi vanished in an instant, and he found himself dozens of li away, right where Gu Li had been standing. In the spark of a flint, the two had traded places. Li Guanqi had no time to think as continuous, rumbling explosions sounded one after another! He pushed his speed to its utmost limit! The void shattered with consecutive detonations, the marks of collapse piercing the expanse like an arrow. By the time Li Guanqi arrived, the mysterious figure had long vanished. Fragments of burning inscribed talismans drifted through the air like cherry blossom petals scattering in a gale. Standing in the void was a figure drenched entirely in blood. Blood dripped from his forehead, blurring the young man's eyes. His opulent robes were torn to shreds, and great patches of flesh had been shorn from his body. "Gu Li!" "Are you alright?!" Li Guanqi rushed to Gu Li's side. Seeing his friend's feeble breath, he did not waste a second, immediately carrying him as he sped off toward the Great Xia Domain. Meanwhile, back in the Ethereal Immortal Domain, Zhao Zongcheng's expression had turned exceedingly grim! A soul lamp, densely covered in hairline cracks and long extinguished, was burning with wisps of green smoke. The old man's hands trembled, his bloodshot eyes glaring furiously at Meng Jiangchu and Gu Changsheng. Stifling the grief in his heart, Zhao Zongcheng swept his hand outward. The wisps of green smoke coalesced into the figures of Li Guanqi and Gu Li! Witnessing this, the gathered cultivators gasped in unison. For a moment, the tumultuous uproar nearly blew the roof off the entire hall. "I heard long ago that this Yanluo Sword Venerable is narrow-minded and ruthless, never leaving anyone alive. To think it was actually true!" "Indeed. Even here in the Ethereal Immortal Domain, people have heard tales of Li Guanqi slaughtering clans." "Hmph. Someone so petty and vindictive is truly a rare sight. To think he seized this brief opening to murder the boy!" The harsh murmurs buzzed relentlessly. Zhao Zongcheng looked coldly at Meng Jiangchu and Gu Changsheng, his voice biting. "Do you have anything else to say?" "My grandson has been murdered! The soul smoke clearly reveals Li Guanqi and Gu Li!" Gu Changsheng's brows were tightly knit. He clearly had no idea what had happened, but he would never believe Gu Li and Li Guanqi would go around committing murder. Meng Jiangchu remained impassive. Scanning the entire hall with a calm gaze, he replied coldly: "It is merely soul smoke. It proves nothing." "If I wanted to kill someone, I would have a hundred ways to frame another." "Besides, none of us knows what actually happened to Zhao Bin. The only way to find out is to bring the two of them here." Hearing this, Zhao Zongcheng grew instantly agitated, unleashing his turbulent pressure without restraint! "Meng Jiangchu! Cut the bullshit!" "The evidence is right before your eyes, yet you're still making excuses for Li Guanqi!" "Just because of that spat with my grandson earlier, he waited until my grandson was thrown out of the Ethereal Immortal Domain, slipped out mid-auction, and murdered him!" "And now, you still have the gall to deflect and lie?!" At these words, many in the crowd nodded slightly. After all, they had seen Zhao Bin thrown out of the Ethereal Immortal Domain earlier. Yet Li Guanqi had left halfway through the auction, and Zhao Bin had ended up dead immediately after. Moreover, the final vision from Zhao Bin's soul lamp showed Li Guanqi and Gu Li. To most, this was practically ironclad proof. As the Domain Lord of the Shenbao Domain, everything Meng Jiangchu had said today undeniably favored Li Guanqi. "Heh, as expected of the Domain Lord of the Shenbao Domain. Even with ironclad evidence, he still shields his son-in-law." "With a son-in-law who's such a prodigy of heaven, of course he'd protect him. Heh, I would too." "Still... I doubt this matter will be settled quietly. Zhao Zongcheng may not have cared much for Zhao Bin, but with such a golden opportunity presented to him, he won't let it go without tearing off a massive piece of flesh." "Brother Li's analysis makes sense. Hahaha, look at the grief that old man is putting on—even I was almost fooled." "Just wait and see. There's plenty of drama to come. With something this huge happening, this auction won't be able to go on anyway." Sure enough, on the stage, Ru Meng had evidently encountered such incidents before. She spoke softly: "Since such a grave matter has occurred, I imagine our honored guests are hardly in the mood to continue the auction. We shall take a two-hour recess." "The auction house has prepared lounges for our distinguished guests, stocked with spiritual fruits and spiritual teas. Please feel free to stroll about." *** Inside the Qin Prince Pavilion. Qin Wushang gazed down at the wine cup in his hand. *Crack!* The wine cup shattered. The frigid aura in the room sent slight shivers through the maidservants' shoulders; they kept their heads bowed, not daring to breathe. Qin Wushang rose slowly, pulled out a handkerchief to wipe his hands, and casually tossed the exceptionally luxurious cloth onto the floor. In a quiet voice, he commanded: "Investigate." As the word fell, Qin Wushang's figure rippled slightly, vanishing on the spot. Crushing a silver-white scroll, Qin Wushang clasped his hands behind his back and stepped into the silver-white light screen. When he reappeared, he had already arrived in the Southern Domain of the Ethereal Immortal Domain! Beasts roared and howled among the dense, towering mountains. Beneath the clouds and mist, countless powerful, rare beasts lay concealed within the ranges. Qin Wushang advanced a thousand zhang with each step. Wherever he passed, the mountains turned as silent as a graveyard! After a short while, a gate towering a hundred zhang high appeared before him! The lifelike stone carvings of nine flood dragons soared toward the heavens, their eyes slit like serpents, dark-golden pupils faintly turning. Qin Wushang frowned slightly. With a wave of his hand, dozens of sword rays erupted instantly! *Thud, thud! Boom, boom, boom!* The eyes of the nine stone flood dragons were pierced through in an instant! The commotion alerted the powerhouses of the Nine Dragons Immortal Sect. Yet when the indignant elder arrived and clearly saw it was Qin Wushang, the fury in his heart was instantly quelled. Bowing respectfully, he said, "Young Master Qin, what brings you here?" Qin Wushang's gaze remained placid. Looking up slightly at the elder, he said softly, "I am here for Ye Bingxin."